Street or station indicator for railways



(No Model.)

A. E. CUOUEL. STREET 0R STATION INDICATOR FOR RAILWAYS. No. 394,677.

Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED EMILE (UCUEI OF SAN FRANFISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STREET OR STATION INDICATOR FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,677, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed August 22, 1888. Serial No. 283,509. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED EMILE CUcUEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street or Station Indicators for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates more particularly to those indicators used on street-cars to announce the names of the different streets as they are approached, which are operated automatically by a trip-bar placed upon or between the track, some minor details of the invention having application to indicators differently operated.

The invention consists in the means employed in operating the device and also in certain details of construction, as is hereinafter specifically set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of the mechanism of the indicator shown in connection with a car having swiveling-trucks. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the driving-gear. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same, with tripping-lever shown in connection. Fig. 4 is a front view of indicatorbox. Fig. 5 is a front view of a broken-away part of the leaves and driving-chain. Fig. 6 is a side view of driving-chain and pawl and ratchet-wheel. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of edges of leaves.

In all the figures the same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts.

Then this form of indicator is operated by a' trip-bar placed on the surface of the roadbed without any device to prolong the time machines of this class require frequently to have the leaves or signs changed to accommodate changes made in the inscriptions upon them, and it becomes very important that these changes shall be rapidly made with great facilityas, for instance, the leaves are almost invariably inscribed with advertisements which are from time to time changed. This is always attended to by an employ while the car is in service. Therefore he must be expeditions in making the changes or he will obstruct the business of the line. To facilitate this operation, I have made a special form of hinge and support for the leaves, which will be found effective for the purpose.

In Fig. 1, A is the frame or box containing the leaves or signs which indicate the names of the streets or stations. It is shown in the pres ent instance located on the partition separat ing the open from the closed part of a car.

B is the rod, which is moved up and down by the vibration of the bell-crank C.

The mechanism causing the changing of the leaves or signs, which is inclosed in the box, is substantially the same as is now in use, viz: There is a ratchet-wheel, D, on the main driving-spindle E, and a pawl, F, which engages with this ratchet-wheel at every stroke made by the rod B. This pawl F is supported on the pivot G, projecting from the plate G, which is secured by screws to the side of the box. An additional pawl, G is also used to prevent the ratchet-wheel from moving backward; but as the invention is not concerned with this part of the apparatus elaborate description is not necessary.

There are plate link-chains I-Ione at each end of the leaves Iwhich are supported by and roll upon the toothed rollers J. These chains have their links pivoted together by long pins 71, extending about half an inch beyond the side next to the leaves. These pins are a trifle smaller where they pass through the links of the chain, so as to leave a shoulder on one side. The end of the small part is riveted after passing through the links. The projecting part of these pins form pivots to hang the leaves upon. The leaves being made of pliable sheets of metal, tin or brass, and having a turned-over edge, 2', to provide for the inclosure of the stiffening-wire K,

ordinary equivalents.

which extends to within half an inch of the ends, they may be first bent arching and then sprung uponthe opposite pivots of the chains.

If it is preferred, or because there are more leaves to accommodate than it is practical to provide with pivots in the above manner, additional leaves may be hung upon the stiffening-rods of those hanging on the pivots in the manner shown in Fig. 7that is, three equidistantnotches are cut out of the turnedover edges of the leaves "already hung, so as to expose the stiffening-rods for about an inch wide, and corresponding widths of turnedover edges of the leaves to be added are hooked over the rods exposed, and swing thereon as conveniently as the first leaves hang on the pivots.

L is the floor of the car; M, the partition dividing the gripmans or operators open part of the car from the sided-up or inclosed partwhere the passengers sit.

N N are the truckavheels; N N, the axles; O, the trip-bar between the rails .P P are the center and end timbers of the truck.

Upon one of the axles there is formed or fastened, generally in two halves, the worm Q,which" revolves whenever the car moves. Above this worm there is a worm-wheel, R, fitted upon the spindle B, so as to be in a position to engage with the worm except where several teeth of the worm are cut away at one point, which prevents engagement at that point.

One end of the spindle R is carried on the bracket S in a journal-box, s, the other end resting in a journal-box, s, set on the end timber of the truck, as shown. In cases where there are no trucks used alight frame can be arranged to rest on the axles to support the journal-boxes. There is a weighted lever, T, secured upon the spindle, the weight resting upon the head of the vertical trippinglever U, having the roller u at the bottom, which makes contact with the trip-bar on the track. The opposite end of the spindle has a crank-arm, V, connected by rod v to the bell-crank 1;, which has its fulcrum-spindle carried in the journal-box e formed on the bracket-piece S. The vertical arm of the bellcrank c is attached by a rod, a, to the vertical arm of the bell-crank C, the horizontal arm connecting with the rod which actuates the pawl of the ratchet-wheel which turns the leaves over.

Of 'course it will be manifest that the worm and toothed wheel may be replaced by the I may use a frictionwheel and pinion or a spur-wheel and pinion, and in some cases a bevel-wheel and pinion might be available. In all cases the same intermittent or notched rim will be used on the wheel and changes made in the arrangement of the parts to suit.

The operation is as follows: As soon asthe forward motion of the car brings the lower end of the tripping-lever in contact with the trip-bar on the track, the upper end of the As before suggested, the leaves or signs are bent arching, and then sprung upon the opposite pivots projecting from each link ofthe chains. Those not directly supported on these pivots are hung on the stiffening rods of those that are.

I do not claim to have invented all the mechanism of the indicator herein described, there being much shown which is copied from those now in use, my invention being confined principally to the device for slowing down the action of the apparatus, the method of hanging theleaves or signs, and the means employed to support them.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows 1. I11 a street and station indicator for rail ways, the combinationof a driving-worm or pinion secured upon and rotating with the axle of the car, a wheel engaging with and receiving its motion therefrom, having an interstice or notch in its rim and being secured upon a suitably-supported spindle, a gravityweight also secured upon this spindle, a tripping-lever adapted to support this weight and to be thrown from under it to allow it to fall and rotate the wheel into engagement with the pinion when its lower end strikes an obstruction upon the track, and suitable mechanism to convey the rotating motion of the notched wheel to operate the indicator, substantially and for the purpose described.

2. In street or station indicators as herein described, the combination of the two endless driving and sign-supporting plate-chains revolved upon suitable rollers, with leaves or signs held between, the several links of the chain being pivoted at the joints upon pivots having elongated ends on the side next to the signs, and a set of flexible signs or leaves, each having a turned over tube like edge adapted to be sprung over and upon the projecting ends of the pivots of the chains to hang therefrom and revolve with them, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

ALFRED EMILE CUCUEL.

Witnesses:

GEORGE PARDY, JNo. D. HOOKER. 

